Michael Patrick Hoyle makes hats that are built to stay put in a Seattle windstorm.

Why it matters: In a rainy, gusty city where many locals refuse to carry umbrellas, a well-fitted hat isn't just fashion; it's function.

State of play: After eight years in Belltown, Hoyle Hat Company is relocating to Pioneer Square as one of the first tenants in the restored Grand Central Building, which has been closed since 2020.

• Hoyle tells Axios he plans to expand by creating what he calls Seattle's first true storefront "hat bar," where customers can customize ready-to-wear hats or commission bespoke pieces.
• He also plans to host classes and private events in the new space, teaching customers how to block and shape hats themselves.

The big picture: Hoyle is among a handful of local artisans — including Wayne Wichern of the Ballard Millenary Studio, who creates Kentucky Derby-style concoctions, and Scott Flesher of RDS Hats, who specializes in top hats — keeping the craft alive.

• He says interest in hats grows every year and the city is due for a revival.
• "Hats were really popular in the 1920s and '30s," Hoyle says. "We're here again."

What they're saying: "For the hat wearer, fit is mission-critical," says Eric John Makus, a fourth-generation Seattleite who used to get his hats made at what he called the "legendary" downtown shop Byrnie Utz.

• Even slight weight changes, humidity or hydration can alter how a hat sits, he tells Axios. Utz used to fine-tune hats on site — something he's found that online retailers can't replicate.

Plus, Seattle's wind tunnels are particularly unforgiving. Makus once watched a poorly fitted hat fly halfway down University Street "like something out of 'The Wizard of Oz.'"

What to expect: Hoyle sells a variety of hats, including custom creations ($1,000–$2,500) built from scratch using hand-blocked beaver or rabbit felt and high-quality leather. Hoyle measures the customer's head, shapes the crown and brim, and fits it precisely.

• Bar hats ($250–$350) are ready-to-wear pieces he sources from select makers, then customizes on site. Customers can reshape brims, add bands, branding burns and detailing to make it their own.
• He also offers hand-stitched caps, alpaca pieces and knit beanies made locally.

The bottom line: In this fleece-loving city, Hoyle is betting Seattle is ready to try another way of topping things off.

Tell a hat lover

Seattle Torrent captain Hilary Knight set two U.S. Olympic records yesterday while leading the U.S. women's hockey team to a gold medal win over Canada.

Zoom in: Knight, Team USA's captain, scored a late tying goal that sent the championship game into overtime and helped lift the U.S. to a 2-1 victory.

By the numbers: Knight's tying goal was her 15th career Olympic goal — the most in U.S. women's hockey history. It also pushed her to 33 career Olympic points, another American record.

What they're saying: "No way!" Knight told NBC when informed she broke the two records. "I'm just happy to have a gold medal. Oh my gosh, this feels amazing."

State of play: Three other Seattle Torrent players — Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes — also won gold medals with the U.S. women's hockey team.

What's next: Knight, 36, has said this year's Winter Games will be her fifth and final Olympics.

• She and the other Torrent players who competed in Milan Cortina will be back on the ice in Seattle on Feb. 27.

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🎼 Benaroya Hall, home to the Seattle Symphony, will temporarily close this summer for renovations. (KING 5)

✈️ Demonstrators marked the Day of Remembrance — which recognizes the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II — at King County International Airport yesterday.

• They linked that history to today's mass deportations, calling for an end to ICE flights out of Boeing Field. (Seattle Times)

🏠 A new tiny house village opened yesterday in Lake City, providing 45 beds for people experiencing homelessness. (KOMO)

Washington has the second-lowest share of Christian nationalists in the country, according to a 50-state survey.

Why it matters: The once-fringe belief holds that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed according to strict Christian values, even as the country becomes less religious and more racially diverse.

Zoom in: In Washington, about 18% of residents qualify as Christian nationalism "adherents" or "sympathizers," according to the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, which released the survey this week.

• That's the second-lowest percentage among states, trailing only Massachusetts at 14%.

The big picture: Christian nationalism is now deeply entrenched inside today's Republican Party, the survey found.

• 56% of Republicans qualify as adherents or sympathizers, compared with about one-third of Americans overall.

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Researchers spotted a newborn orca calf Monday traveling with members of L pod near Victoria, the group's first sighting since November, per the Center for Whale Research.

Why it matters: The endangered southern resident killer whale population numbered 74 as of July 2025. Long-term recovery depends on more calves surviving their first year.

What's next: Scientists still need additional sightings to confirm the calf's mother and will be watching closely to see how the newborn fares in the weeks ahead.